Spicy Tomato Rice

This is a traditional South Indian Rice Dish that is very spicy and oh so tasty! If you've never had South Indian food before, this is a great place to start! This rice punches quite some heat, so if you prefer to have your food milder cut back on some of the chillies; I can't guarantee that it will taste as good, but you could surely give it a try.

Ingredients:

4-5 tablespoons Oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 whole dried red pepper (broken into pieces)
1 teaspoon chana dal
1 teaspoon black gram dal
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
3-4 thai green chillies sliced
1/2 onion finely chopped
4-5 tomatoes finely chopped
1 cup cooked rice
2 spring onions for garnish


Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan on med-high heat
2. Add in mustard seeds and allow them to pop
3. Add chana dal and gran dal and allow to brown slightly
4. Add in the dried red pepper and sauté for a few seconds
5. Put in the onions and green chillies. Cook until the onions become translucent
6. Next, add the turmeric powder and  red chili powder and sauté for a few seconds
7. Add in the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes soften and become slightly liquidly
8. Lastly lower the heat and fold in the cooked rice
9. Garnish with the chopped spring onions and serve hot

Please let me know if you any question. Hope you enjoy! 

LOVE

Such a simple emotion, yet it brings with it at times such confusion.

I am no expert on the matters of the heart, I just know the truths that define who I am.  For me love is unconditional! There are no rules, no directions and no judgment. . .  it just is.  Love is pure and simple. For me there is no difference in love for friends, family, or a significant other. To me the way we love all the people in our lives is the same, we just express that love in different ways.

Anyone that knows me knows this to be true. My love for people is unconditional. Most think its crazy, but it is the all encompassing truth of who I am. When I love someone I give them my heart. . . my everything and I ask for nothing in return. I do things for the people I love regardless of the state of our relationship. Some would say this will only bring me pain, but I ask what pain can love bring?

If you love people truly, unconditionally, then nothing else matters. There are no grudges for a lack of communication between friends. There is no residual pain from a bad experience. There is no sorrow of dreams left unfulfilled. There is nothing but the feeling of love and compassion for someone else, which to me is the world most humbling feeling. We all have the ability to feel this compassion for other people but we let our fears get in the way of embracing them fully. We fear the pain of getting hurt, getting rejected, being taken advantage of and so on. But if you truly love unconditionally and expect nothing in return from the people that you love who can the hurt you, reject you or take advantage of you? Living without fear has helped me embrace this part of my self more. Trust me I know how difficult it can be to just love someone and not expect anything in return, but believe me when I say that when you begin to love unconditionally your world changes. Despite how people react to your love and compassion you are at peace knowing that you have shown them that you are there for them no matter what. I strongly believe that unconditional love has the ability to melt even the most powerful hatreds in the world, but maybe that is just my dream. . .

In this ever changing year, try to make another change in your life. Love the people in your life unconditionally and see how the year goes. I'm sure that it will be better then you could have ever imagined!

With Love & Peace

The New Year

It's finally here... 2012 ...

A few years ago, when I first started hearing about the prophecies of this year I was afraid partly due to my lack of understanding on the subject. But, the more I researched the subject the less afraid I became. The more I realized that this year is the year for change! 

It's only been 10 days into the new year and there are changes taking place all around us. From the unusual weather patterns to minor changes in our personal lives everyone that I know is going through a transitional phase right now. I personally am going through a growing phase, a phase of redefining who I am. I feel like I've been in this process for a while but I am finally at the stage where I am letting go of the things that have been holding me back and grasping onto the things that are propelling me forward! With this however come a great deal of struggle as well. I am entering the last phase of my masters degree and I am still uncertain exactly what road I want to go down. There are so many different avenues that I have a passion/ interest for, yet I don't know which one is best suited for me. What if I pick the "wrong" path and end up doing something that I hate?? That's always been a fear of mine, but now that I am learning to live life without fears I realize it doesn't matter. I know that whatever path I go down will be as permanent as I want it to be. Changing the course of your life is only dependent on your energy. The minute you begin to invest your energy into another avenue your life will begin to change without you even realizing it. This is a very comforting realization for me because I have so many aspirations that I want to accomplish. It's a nice feeling to know that you don't have to pick one.

With the growth that I am seeing within my self and those around me I can already sense that this year is going to be very thrilling! I know that there are going to be many adventures that I embark upon and ones that I will hear about and even some that I won't know about, yet I have a unshakeable feeling that all of our stories will be similar. Not in the adventures we take, but the lessons that we learn form them. 

So get ready for the ride! Buckle up and enjoy what 2012 has to offer!

With Love & Peace